Tooth-brush attachment.



.No. 756,138. PATENTED MAR; 29, 1904.

' A. A. PETERSEN.

' TOOTH BRUSH ATTACHMENT. APPLIGATiON FILED SEPT. 24, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

wih esses I emu- 5 UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE."

TOOTH-BRUSH ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 756,138, dated March29, 1904.

Application filed September 24, 1903. Serial No. 174,508- (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD A. PETERSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Tooth- Brush Attachment, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices or implements for the treatment of theteeth and for similar purposes, and has for its object to provide aplate-like attachment, preferably to the handle of a tooth-brush,whereby the small or contracted interstices between the teeth may becleansed and the deposit or accumulation of foreign matter prevented;and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, ashereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the-drawings illustrative of the invention, in which correspondingparts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a tooth-brush with the improved device attached tothe handle thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, andFig. 3 is a planView, enlarged, of the end of the handle member with the improvementapplied. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the blanks from whichthe plates are constructed. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the saw andcutting-wheel, whereby the plate-holding cavity and recess are formed inthe supporting member.

The improved device will preferably be attached to the handle 10 of atooth-brush, and in applying the device a recess 11, preferablysemicircular in shape, is formed transversely in the handle andpreferably near the outer end and with reversely inclined sides, asshown. A connecting recess 12 is formed longitudinally of the member 10and extending through the recess 11 and forming an extension therefrom.A relatively-thin metal plate 13 is inserted in the recess 12 andextends across the recess 11 with its outer free edge in longitudinalalinement with the member 10, as shown.

The recess 11 is formed with spaced lateral cavities in one of itsinclined sides, and the plate 13 is provided with spaced radial clefts,whereby tongue-like portions 16 are released,

which are adapted when bent off from the plate to enter the cavities 15and the plate firmly supported thereby, the tongues being forced intothe recesses by any suitable implement.

The longitudinal recess 12 is formed with a very thin saw, so that acorrespondingly thin plate may be employed, which is an essentialrequirement in a device of the character of the improvement hereindescribed, as the interstices'between the teeth which are to be reachedthereby are frequently very contracted.

The plate 13 will generally be forced into the cavity 12 and held byfriction only, but may be cemented, riveted, or otherwise securedtherein, if required, and is further secured and supported, as abovenoted, by the bracing action of the tongue 16.

The lateral projections 16 greatly strengthen and support theplate 13and materially assist in sustaining it in place relative to the holdingmember 10.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the cutting implement whereby the connecting recesses11 and 12 are formed is represented, consisting of a thin saw 17 for theportion 12 and laterally-disposed cutting-wheels 18 19 to form theportion 11, which may thus both be formed at the same time and at oneoperation, thus greatly simplifying the action.

In Fig.4: one of the preferred forms of blanks from which the plates 13are formed is shown, consisting of a circular disk in which the cleftsfor the tongue like portions 16 are formed, and when severed centrallyalong the line 20 will form two of the plates. This greatly Simplifiesand cheapens the construction and greatly improves the structure andrenders it an easy matter to replace worn or broken plates, as therecesses and plates are thus constructed uniformly and of exactly thesame form and size in all the various brush-handles or other supportingmember employed.

By this simple means the narrow and contracted interstices between theteeth,which the ordinary brushes or similar implements cannot reach, canbe very quickly cleansed and freed from adhering particles of foreignmatter or deposits or growth, and the teeth preserved and decay arrestedor entirely prevented, and being located in the brush-handle are in themost convenient position for use.

The plates 18 will preferably be of hardened steel, and may be of anyrequired thickness and strength, and will preferably be as thin aspossible consistent with the strains to which they will be subjected.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In an implementof the character described, a supporting member having a transverserecess with an intermediate lateral recess extending therefrom into thebody of the supporting member, and a relatively thin platelike membersupported in said lateral recess and extending across said transverserecess, substantially as specified.

2. In an implement of the character described, a supporting memberhaving a transverse recess with an intermediate lateral recess extendingtherefrom into the body of the supporting member, and a relatively thinplatelike member having spaced radial clefts,

whereby tongue-like portions are released,said platelike member beingsupported in said lateral recess with said tongue like portions inengagement with the walls of the transverse recess, substantially asspecified.

3. In an implement of the character described, a supporting memberhaving a transverse recess with spaced lateral cavities and with anintermediate recess extending from said transverse recess longitudinallyof the supporting member, and a relatively thin plate-like memberadapted for engagement with said longitudinal recess and extendingacross said transverse recess and provided with lateral tongue-likeprojections engaging said spaiced lateral recesses, substantially asspecifie In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARNOLD A. PETERSEN.

Witnesses:

ED. P. INGHAM, J. J. GoADY.

